Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne missed out on their maiden centuries but still did enough to put Australia in command of the day-night Test against Sri Lanka after day two.
Head and Labuschagne combined for Australia’s best partnership in more than a year with 166 for the fifth wicket on Friday, before the hosts were eventually all out late on day two for 323 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 144.
Pat Cummins then landed a blow for Australia on the last ball of the day, getting Dimuth Karunaratne caught behind for 3 to leave Sri Lanka 17-1 and still trailing by 162.
Labuschagne’s 81 was a breakthrough innings for the South African-born Queenslander, who was a controversial selection for Australia’s last Test of the Indian series at the SCG.
He played with patience and control, hitting just three boundaries but all against spinners as he swept them when full and straight and got on the back foot when there was width.
However a triple-figure score, which would have helped his Ashes cause, still eluded him when he pushed one to short mid-on from spinner from spinner Dhananjaya de Silva.
Head then missed out on his chance in the final session, trapped lbw for 84 to a ball from Suranga Lakmal that replays showed would have clipped the bails after the South Australian reviewed it.
The left-hander’s innings had its chances for the Sri Lankans including a dropped catch from wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella on 29 off Dushmantha Chameera’s bowling, but he otherwise played superbly through the offside.
Five of his 10 boundaries went between gully and cover, as he pounced on anything wide of the off-stump.
Marcus Harris also missed out on a chance for big runs when he bunted a short ball to point in the first over of the day on 44 while debutant Kurtis Patterson hit 30 in his first Test innings.
Meanwhile Sri Lankan quick Lakmal claimed his third five-wicket haul in Tests with figures of 5-75, as he also got nightwatchman Nathan Lyon edging for one, Tim Paine out first ball in the same manner and Patterson lbw after knocking over Joe Burns on day one.
Patterson had shown promising signs in his 30, cutting Chameera for three boundaries in one over before he tried to drive one that seamed back at him.
Mitchell Starc then put up a late rearguard effort, whacking two sixes in a 25-ball 26, as fellow bowlers Cummins went for zero and Jhye Richardson one.